Warner Bros. Pictures has secured a spec script centered on the compelling true story of NBA icon Kobe Bryant’s journey to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Variety.
Penned by screenwriters Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen, the project sparked interest from several studios and streaming platforms. A source revealed to Variety that Warner Bros. swiftly acquired the script, tentatively titled “With the 8th Pick?”, bypassing a potential bidding war. Notably, the title references a historical twist: Bryant was actually selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, not the eighth. The Hornets later traded him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. The eighth pick belonged to the New Jersey Nets, whose general manager, John Nash, reportedly favored drafting Bryant but was overruled by coach John Calipari. Insiders describe the script as blending the analytical depth of “Moneyball” with the origin-story vibe of “Air,” the recent Ben Affleck and Matt Damon film about Nike’s pursuit of a young Michael Jordan.
Warner Bros. declined to comment on the project.
Bryant spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers, securing five championships, including a three-peat in the early 2000s alongside Shaquille O’Neal and coach Phil Jackson. An 18-time All-Star, he earned the NBA MVP award for the 2007-08 season and retired in 2016 at age 37. Tragically, Bryant and his daughter Gianna, along with seven others, perished in a January 2020 helicopter crash in Orange County, California. Sohn and Johannsen are represented by Verve Talent and Literary Agency, with Sohn managed by Lit Entertainment Group and Johannsen by Gotham Group.
